With company in town - plan for at least an hour and a half at the dinner table. Love it. We just went out and bought a bunch of tiki torches and citronella oil to ward of the mosquitoes and prolong the dinner-time chat out on our back deck in Boulder. It is the same way at the lake. When we saddle up for dinner we are going well beyond sunset into the hours of the night when I would normally be getting ready for bed. How great is that?
Instead of the normal 5 meals - here are two meal "events" that you can count on to provide you with a great medium for conversation at your next backyard get together.
The first meal is a bit of a one-pot-wonder: the Shrimp Boil. My brother and sister-in-law have lived south of the Mason Dixon (which, when I Googled it, is not quite as far south as I had imagined, but regardless...) for long enough to be bringing a little southern flare to our gatherings. They put on a delightful shrimp boil which was delicious and fun to eat (NOTE: if you are taking turns doing dishes, call dibs on this night...trust me). The shrimp boil involves shrimp, corn, onions, potatoes, sausage, Old Bay Seasoning and a giant newspaper covered table. Intrigued? Give this a go - if you have easy going guests who are not afraid to dig in family-style, this will surely be a hit!
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| Getting ready to chow down! |
The second meal was a bit more traditional (in the way it was served) but just as memorable. We had a feast of steaks, salmon, broccoli slaw, baked potatoes, bread dipped in flavored oil, and strawberry torte for dessert. Mmmmm.
The steaks were grilled with a little olive oil, seasoned salt, and crushed black pepper. We had sauteed mushrooms (slice mushrooms, heat skillet over medium heat and add some butter. Add mushrooms and saute until softened) as a nice compliment to the perfectly grilled steaks.
The salmon was cooked on a cedar plank - soak the plank for an hour, rub
the fish with a mixture of 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper and 1
tablespoon brown sugar. Lay the fish on the plank and put the plank on
the preheated grill (medium heat) for 15 or so minutes or until it
reaches 130 degrees. Serve with this horseradish sauce from Wegmans if possible!
These recipes will be as great individually as they are all together -
mix and match, borrow a marinade or cooking technique for a different
cut of meat, and by all means, allow yourself some strawberry torte for
dessert!
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| Broccoli slaw? Yes please! |
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| Strawberry Torte |
